In our first part, we covered the importance of SEO for portals and the “on page” tips from SEO expert Joe Hanna. In this post, Joe continues with some tips regarding “off page” factors.
Off Page :
Off page factors refer to how the portal site is referenced by others on the internet and aides in determining the authority of the portal.
Tip 5: Build quality links
Having other industry sites refer back to your portal through links referencing content etc all help in building your portal’s reputation on the internet. The best way to do this is by providing unique and interesting content that industry sites will want to reference.
Avoid most free directories and link exchanges. Search engines can easily identify and penalise sites that are clearly manufacturing links.
The quality of links is just as, if not more, important than the quantity.
Tip 6: Leverage social media
Much like traditional marketing, brand recognition does influence search engine results.
Embrace social media and integrate them into the site. (facebook like, google +, etc)
Encouraging the online community to engage in conversation within their various social networks not only helps a portal’s positioning as an authority, but also helps expose the portal beyond search engines.
Tip 7: Use the tools
There are many free and paid tools available that give insights into how users engage with your site, how search engines view the site and how to optimise sites for SEO.
Analytics tools like the free Google Analytics or paid enterprise tool such as Omniture are vital in understanding onsite user behaviour.
Tip 8: Build with the user in mind
When designing a website, functionality, useability and speed should be the primary focus. Search engines like sites that are engaging and popular.
Understanding the user demographic and designing sites accordingly will naturally result in higher and longer site usage. Use analytics tools to understand and identify areas for improvement to keep users on the site for longer and convert better.
Sites that are built purely for SEO at the expense of the user experience may obtain good short term search engine results rankings, but won’t maintain them.
Tip 9: Optimisation is constant
Search engine optimisation is not a one off. Search engine algorithms are a moving target that changes constantly, from minor tweaks to more impactful overhauls. What is acceptable today may be frowned upon tomorrow, so it is important to constantly ensure that sites evolve.
Tip 10: Seek expert advice
Like any industry, SEO professionals can sometimes be far from professional. Good SEO professionals can dramatically improve a site’s rankings. It is however important to choose a reputable and well known provider.
When outsourcing SEO services avoid companies who “guarantee” rankings and ensure there is enough transparency in what is being executed.
It is often better, resources permitting, to seek external advice but implement internally. This not only ensures that skills are maintained internally, but also requires the SEO professional to clearly articulate recommendations and provide commentary on why it is required.
Joe Hanna is a consultant for Classified Ad Ventures and the CEO of Mitula.com, Asia Pacific a classifieds vertical search engine
Please feel free to ask questions of the PPW team and Joe through comments or email editor@propertyportalwatch.com
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